From the moment she could read, sixteen-year-old Archita Mishra has spent most of her life with her nose buried in a book, and only resurfaces when she is in need of another one. With such an insatiable appetite for knowledge, it is no surprise that she spends most of her waking time creating worlds, painting and weaving stories.

She could spin tales out of nothing and her audience (primarily her mother and unassuming older sister) was often left questioning the reality of her stories. Her fables were so well crafted and believable that as a toddler, she managed to convince a friend that she owned a massive dog, despite having the friend visit and find none. At the age of four, Archita penned (read: scratched) and illustrated (read: scribbled) her first novel The Adventures of Animal X and from that day forward, she had found her calling. Archita honed her writing skills throughout her years in the J.B. Petit High School for Girls, and although her artistic skills remained frozen in time, her writing flourished. A series of short stories, a few abandoned (read: dormant) ideas and a handful of poems later, Archita began conceptualising and writing her first official novel, The Stormbringer.

When Archita isn’t seen reading or writing, she’s often heard belting out lyrics of the latest Panic! at the Disco song, dancing – from classical Odissi to KPOP (she is the epitome of versatility, I’m sure you can tell), entertaining walkers at the local park with her powerhouse vocals, engaging in MUNs and carrying out student council activities at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School.